Silver Valley trick-or-treating a go, for now

City officials from across the Silver Valley confirmed with the News-Press on Monday that trick-or-treating is still set to occur on Halloween this year.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, rumors had swirled in the community recently that certain cities would cancel or put restrictions on the time-honored holiday tradition.

As of Monday, no Shoshone County city has implemented any such restrictions, other than broad spectrum mask resolutions (not specific to the holiday). Depending on the actions of certain city councils though, these mask resolutions may not even be in effect by the time Oct. 31 rolls around.

While no restrictions are currently in place, there is the possibility of some being created between now and Halloween, as all the major cities in the county will hold their council meetings either Oct. 13 or 14.

If everything remains as is, trick-or-treating will be held from the traditional time of 6 to 7 p.m. across the Silver Valley.

The Centers for Disease Control released its guidelines for celebrating Halloween this year, cataloging the holiday’s activities into three categories: low risk, moderate risk and high risk.

Those high-risk activities include traditional door-to-door trick-or-treating, attending crowded costume parties or maneuvering through indoor haunted houses. (The more intense and powerful the scream, the CDC warns, the further COVID-19 is likely to spread.)

The CDC considers “one-way trick-or-treating” — leaving out individually-wrapped and sanitized goodie bags on porches or driveways — a moderate risk, along with small, open-air get-togethers with masked-up guests practicing social distancing. Pumpkin patches, outdoor movie nights and outdoor one-way haunted forests are also considered moderate risks.

Low-risk activities, according to the CDC, include family and neighborhood pumpkin carving contests, virtual costume contests and family Halloween movie nights.

Katherine Hoyer, public information officer for Panhandle Health District, said people, with a little creativity, can still enjoy the holiday safely, but that the desire to dismiss the dangers after a long summer of COVID — even for one night — can be disastrous.

“It’s understandable that some are feeling burnout or pandemic fatigue,” Hoyer said, “as we’ve been living with this pandemic for months now, and there is still no definitive end. The most important thing is not to give up. Continue to practice the precautions and stick to reliable, trustworthy sources for information.”

The News-Press will provide another Halloween story, detailing any updates and holiday events by city, closer to Oct. 31.